Quilting Room Makeovers

[Patti P.]

I'm making over a spare/guest bedroom into a quilting studio for myself. I would like some feedback as to what is the best color to paint the walls. Also, any tips or suggestions? What is one thing you wish you had done differently in your quilt space and what is one thing you love the most about your space?

[Robin G.]

We just finished adding on to our house so I could have my own quilt studio (I think I'm in heaven). Here's what I did. Because I wanted some color in the room, we painted a couple of the walls in colors I like (muted teal and sand beige) but left the walls nearest my working and design areas an off-white. That way, there is no inadvertant reflection that might "color" my fabric selections. Any color that is pleasing to you and helps to put you in the right frame of mind for quilting can go on the walls.
Be very attentive to the kind of light bulbs you use. Boy, did we ever learn a lot about lighting during this project. To conserve energy and retain nearly true color at the same time, we went with some compact flourescent bulbs in the working space of the room; we used other kinds of energy-saving bulbs where they would not affect how the qults would look.
Quiilt University has an online course, taught by Myrna Giesbrecht, on making over a sewing/quilting room. I took it in the fall and it was very helpful.

[Robin G.]

Robin thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. I like your color idea for the walls. I was going to go with task lighting since I can't afford to have an electrician come in to rewire things. I will check out Quilt University. Thanks for the tip. Enjoy your new workspace!

[Annette R.]

I did my quilting/craft room over last fall. I have a 10'by20'"texas room" An add on room to a mobile home similar to a three season porch but completely closed in. First thing we did was remove the sliding glass door between "my" room and the front tesas room which serves as an extra living or dining room. We left the vertical blinds up so Icould curtain it off when company comes. My favorite thingi is my 5'by 8' design wall. Plywood we used to block another sliding glass door when we are not here but which never seemed to get removed. I covered the plywood with batting and white flannel. I won't be much help on wall colors because my room is 80% windows. I built a new sewing table that 4'x3' and is covered with vynel (floor tiles) and edged with molding so there is nothing to catch cloth on. I made a cut out with a shelf for my sewing machine. The bed of the sewing machine is the same AS the table top. Underneath the table I have room for storing large pieces of fabric and all my fat qtrs in an organized way Only downside is I teachcrafts in our park and have to have space for them so my table is often covered two tables would be great but not enought room. Hope this is useful information contact me if you want to know morel

[Annette R.]

The main thing is DON'T listen to the electrician when he says you don't need that many electrical outlets in one room because he will say that.

[Annette R.]

I'm just getting my new quilt studio done and arranged the way I think I need it. My sewing table is 26"x60" with a 26"x60" extension that lifts up to use and you can put it down when not in use. I have 3 drawers on the right side and 1 drawer on the left and a lower shelf. I keep all the tools I need for my sewing machine right handy. I love it!! This is adgacent to a big south facing window, which gives me great light during the day and at nite I have a big flexable arm desk type lamp so the light is always where I need it. Behind my sewing table I have a 29"x61" base cabinet which stores all sorts of things including my batting, there's so much room I haven't gotten it all filled YET. The upper cabinets are 13"x48" in which I store most of my fabric stash. On the end is a 12"x13" slotted storage cabinet, which I use for my paper goods, stencils and stablizers. Then to round out my room, I have a 28"x50" cutting table, with storage cabinets beneath it. I store my extra machines in the one side and all my books are easy to find on the shelf on the other side. Yes, I still have alot of space, but I'm sure that won't last long. LOL. My hubby still has to upgrade the outlets, yes I do need more, you can never have enough of those as far as I'm concerned.
Oh yes, I also have a plastic 4 drawer container, which I use for orphan blocks and fabric scraps sorted according to colors. This whole quilt studio cost us less than $150 since my hubby did all the work! We are kind of pack rats on some things and when our kitchen was remodeled in 1990 we had some cabinets that had flaws in them, that I didn't want in my new kitchen. The cabinet company sent new ones and let us keep the 2 that were bad. The other ones my hubby made. I have friends that really like my new studio and want to know if my hubby rents out. Sorry folks he doesn't.
As soon as I get so batteries for my camera, I'll send in some pictures for all to see.
One thing we will do is get more lighting, this is mainly for my night sewing, I just hate having shadows. So far I think that's the only thing I will change.
Everyone has their own way they like to do things and what might work for me might not work for you, but the general ideas might help set the ground work for you new studio BBGirl. Good Luck!! :lol:

[Annette R.]

Funny you should mention Myrna Giesbrecht above. She visited my B&B several times, and each time made wonderful suggestions for my quilt room, which she borrowed on occasion.

One feature is the design wall. I used 4X8 sheets of styrofoam on one wall covered in a white flannelette sheet. It is always well used. I also have a small flannel bulletin board above my sewing machine where I can put a sample block to follow to be sure I don't twist around the piecing of blocks as I stitch them.

Storage for the stash needs to be thought out carefully. I get plastic tubs with lids, fold them on end and stack like file folders in a cabinet. I keep similar colours together. No, I won't tell you how many tubs I have. That's like asking my age!!!

My cutting table is mounted on a sturdy flat board with piano wheels, so that it can move or be pushed flat against the wall. It is a raised table, so I don't have to bend too far over when cutting. Myrna suggested paint cans under each leg as a quick fix for short tables. Isn't she the smartest cookie? Fortunately, my husband was motivated enough and clever enough to do the low shelf supporting the legs. He thought I might be neater if motivated. SIGH.

I have lots of shallow drawers for templates, buttons, stabilizers, lonely blocks, and I label each drawer to eliminate the open-shut-bang method.

I have at least three garbage points. One near the sewing machine, one under the cutting table and one in the other corner. I also use a lint roller for the thread that invariably sticks on ironing board, cutting board or by the sewing machine.

My ironing board needed to be wider, so good ol' hubby designed a wider board with a v shape underneath that slides over the tapered end of the regular ironing board that keeps the board secure. I CAN remove it to have a regular board, but I NEVER seem to do that.

I use my classroom mailboxes (used to teach school) for small bits. I keep them in colour sections, and it's almost fun to go looking for a small piece of black and white in the letterbox.

My scissors hang from one of those kitchen racks with hooks. I keep it near my sewing machine. I have a ruler board that a friend's husband made with grooves for the rulers. I put that near my cutting board.

No one dares think of a second use for this room. That way it's always ready to go.

[Annette R.]

Wow. That's the kind of room I want when I grow up. :shock:

[Annette R.]

I'm so jealous, but lest others on the forum think we're all so lucky, I think I'll tell a bit about my room, and others can join in with their own particular :wink: challenges... :wink:
My sewing room is also my guest room, so everything has to be able to be stashed away (fortunately, MIL doesn't come often and my family's in town!) I have a double-door closet with wire shelves off to one side which hold bins & plastic drawers for some semblance of organization. In the center, an old dressing table holds an old Kenmore machine, but I seldom use that anymore, and lined up underneath are the other 3 machines that have come into my life since I took this up! But truly, sitting in the closet worked early on for piecing, but NOT for quilting!
So now, I have a sturdy, adjustable-height card table for my machine, and I keep my big-board ironing board to the left, adjust the height for ironing/cutting or use as a support surface when maneuvering a large quilt. All of this is set up at the end of the bed, so the quilt has plenty of room to move once it's thru the machine! The bed also holds the cutting board if it's not on the ironing board for use. (and a variety of other things that haven't been put away!)
Behind me is my design wall, 2 4x8 sheets of dense foamcore (1/2", not the usual 1/4") with white polar fleece draped over from the top. This way, the fleece can come off if the whole thing needs to really go away, which might mean the attic.
My MIL is my most frequent guest, and she's just had to get used to a room decorated with stacks of fabric on several tall bookshelves, which also hold books and folders with patterns, DVD's, etc.
I have a decorative screen in a corner that can hide the design wall, card tables, ironing board when needed.
What I need most urgently is for DH to fix the light-- a ceiling fan w/ 3 bulbs, one of which comes & goes, one works, the other doesn't. This is really making me crazy, not to mention blind! I do have a good task light but I have to aim it in different directions depending on what I'm doing! Lucky it's got a swivel neck!
I've got lots of dreams & ideas for the "perfect" room, but for now, I'm still managing with what I've got--that goes for time as well as space!
Florence

[Annette R.]

I have at least three garbage points. One near the sewing machine, one under the cutting table and one in the other corner. I also use a lint roller for the thread that invariably sticks on ironing board, cutting board or by the sewing machine.

Both very good tips! I'm always shifting my one and only garbage can from cuttting table to sewing table. In fact, I'll pick up a couple of extras, as well as a lint roller this afternoon at my local Wally World. I'm shopping mainly for a couple of 3 drawer rolling carts that are on sale at this time. They'll fit nicely under my cutting table. I've outgrown my little bitty storage cart already. Another thing I'm picking up will be a couple of extra magnetic pin holders...love those things. That's another thing I'm always shifting from one work area to another. It's all in the convenience, right?!

[Annette R.]

I'm so glad it helped.

I like the idea of several PIN points, too. Another tip is that I have a bowl beside the sewing machine (a friend made it out of fabric) and in it I store the last thread used, an awl for pushing fabric that bunches under the needle, thread ripper (though who ever needs that!) I have a wide mouthed vase that my lint roller fits just above, so it's a wonky looking "flower" and also it keeps the outside edge from catching on other things. Handy handy handy!

[Annette R.]

here's another handy item for trash... it's a combination cupholder and trashbag that clamps on to your work surface. Go to creativememories.com and search for side-kick. The little trash bag is disposable, but since I don't want to be buying more, I just dump it & re-use.
Florence

[Annette R.]

That does look handy! I've been using small gift bags pinned to the ironing board or looped over the drawer handle near my sewing machine. It's a nice hit of colour, as well.

[Annette R.]

That does look handy! I've been using small gift bags pinned to the ironing board or looped over the drawer handle near my sewing machine. It's a nice hit of colour, as well.

That's what I use --- small gift bags that I tape to the edge of my sewing table. Usually I just dump it and re-use it but occasionally I change it because I want to liven things up.

[Annette R.]

oh yes, there are alternatives for the trash, but it's the cup-holder that has saved me from more than one mishap!